Automatic bean cutter



Se t.'7, 1937. c. e. BLAKENEY El AL 2,092,103

AUTOMATIC BEAN CUTTER Filed May 7, 1934 s Sheets-Sheet 1 ti l bill .m m maaww INVENTORS o'zarles 6 Bid/Ten 6 Be yam; n Z Back THEIR ATTORNEYS Sept. 1, 1937.

C. G. BLAKENEY ET AL AUTOMATIC BEAN CUTTER I 3 Sheets-sheaf. 2

Filed May 7, 1934 m'vsmoRS GBMeIIg/ [Buck C Bery'amzuz I TH Eli ATTORNEYS Sept. 7, 1937. c. G. BLAKENEY El AL AUTOMATIC BEAN CUTTER s Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 7, 1934 INVEINTORS Chaglas 63 Men 63 Bezy'anzjzz [.Bucif THEIR ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 7, rest 2,092,103

UNETED stares PATENT QFFIQE AUTOMATIC BEAN CUTTER Ghai'lcs G. Blakeney and Benjamin I. Buck, Baitiniore, Md assignors to The B. l. Buck Company, Baltimore, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application May 7, 1934, Serial No. 724,440

5 Claims. (01. 146-86) Our invention relates to improvements in auto- Figure 1 is atop plan view of a machine emmatic bean cutters and has to do, more particubodying our invention; larly, with machines for automatically cutting F g. 2 is a vertical, sectional view taken on bean pods, such as green or wax stringless beans, the line 2-2 of Fig. a p Of the driving mech- 5 into desired lengths for canning. anism being shown in side elevation;

In canning beans, the pods are usually snipped Fi 3 is a fr me y vi w, n i v i n and then cut into lengths, which may vary acof that part of the machine shown, in section, in cording to the practice in different canneries. t uppe r d Co Of These lengths may be one-half inch, three-quar- Fig. 4 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the lo ter inch or one inch, for example. This cutting line 4-4 of Fig. 2; w is usually done after the beans are snipped and 5 is a detail, sectional View taken 1 t e before they are blanched. The principal object e of of our invention, therefore, is to provide a simple 6 is a perspective View Of the a and inexpensive but efiicient machine for auto is a w in side elevation of a p on matically cutting bean pods into lengths desired 0f the Conveyor; and 15 for canning. Figv 8 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a A further object of our invention is to provide Portien One Of e Conveyor fl hts.

such a machine in which the knives will always In general, our invention consists f a hopp make transverse cuts through the bean pods, to receive a pp of been p to e Cut into t pgds when presented to the knives 1 m sections, and an endless conveyor, which runs 20 substantially at right-angles to them. Thus, one thl'ollgh e ppe ta ing bean p s f om said object of our invention is to provide a machine pp d a y g them p a plurality of in which the pods will not be presented to the iatei'eiiy-speeed knives, Cutting disks, which knives wholly, or partially, end on, so that the Cooperate wi h the v y 0 u b an p d knives do not make diago al cuts through t thereon into sections. We propose to provide a 25 pods in cutting them into sections. eehveyel which is made p Of a plurality of A further object of our invention, is to provide trough-shaped fl hts, hav n found that, when an automatic bean cutting machine in which the such a conveyor s v d through ppe the beans will be out instead of being crushed, as is s l d to ie lengthwise Of e tr the case with. some machines which have been haped flights a d, y arranging e aXiS Of the 30 proposed for th service cutting knives parallel to the flights, we insure A further object of our invention is to provide that the P will be Cut into sections y transm hi hi h can h very readily and quickly verse cuts substantially at right-angles to the adjusted so as to produce sections of different length 0f the 9 We P p ther, to prol th For instance, th machine may be vide each of these trough-shaped flights with a 35 arranged t t one-half inch sections and, by plurality of transverse, parallel kerfs, in which simple adjustment, can be transiomed so as to the Cutting knives, disks Work as the flights out one inch sections, pass the knives. We propose to provide a mount- A further bject of our invention is to provide ing for the cutting knives consisting of a pivoted a machine of the character described, which will frame which a driven shaft i j naled, and 0 automatically cut the bean pods into sections of the cuttmg dlsks are mountefi m'paraiieii laterthe desired length and separate undersize secany'spaced relaftlon upon t dnven shaftof tions from those of the required siZe course, the spacing of the disks on the shaft must correspond to the spacing of the kerfs in the Further objects, and ObJGbS relating to economies of construction and details of operation, will flights because the kerfs are Intended to recelve 45 the cutting disks as the ill hts ass the c tt r defini e y appeal from the detalled descnptlon Because the cutting disks aie m unted in: to follow. In one instance, we accomplish the oted frame h V 5 objects of our invention by the devices, and means t ey may n e and fan Wlth reference to the conveyor, so that, if hard metallic objects, described in the following specification. Our msuch as nails or pieces of wire Should happen to vention'is clearly defined and pointed out inthe be mixed th th b an pods and carried past the app eieims- A structure, constituting a knives by the conveyor, the knives may rise, to preferred embodiment of our invention, is illuspermit such objects to pass without injury to the trated in the accompanying drawings, forming a cutting edges, and fall back into operative posipart of'this specification, in which: tion as soon as such objects have passed. The

shaft which bears the cutting knives is driven by suitable connections, centering at the pivot of the frame and leading to the motor which operates the machine.

We propose to provide, further, a guard, which is mounted in spaced relation to certain portions of the conveyor. This guard is to be provided with a series of parallel slots through which the cutting knives work. It will be seen that this guard will provide a channel through which the bean pods are carried by the conveyor past the cutters. We propose to extend this guard, in spaced relation to the conveyor, adjacent a portion of the lower reach of the conveyor, so that, after the bean pods are carried past the cutters and have been severed into sections, they will be supported against dropping from the flights in the lower reach by such guard. We propose to provide, in this portion of the guard, a series of parallel openings through which undersize sections may drop, the standard size sections being retained by the guard in the flights until the latter have passed the end of the guard, when the sections may drop into a suitable receptacle for them. Thus, there is an automatic separation of undersize sections.

Referring to the numbered parts of the accompanying drawings, in which we have illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention,

the machine is provided with a frame comprising the base members it, the vertical upright members ii, the inclined members l2 and the upper members l3. An endless conveyor, indicated generally by the numeral 9, is mounted upon this frame. The conveyor comprises a pair of side chains l4, upon which there are supported a. plurality of trough-shaped flights 55. As shown in Figs. 4 and 8, each of these flights has formed therein a plurality of parallel, transverse kerfs it. The chains i l of the endless conveyor pass around the sprockets l8, fixed on the driven shaft ll, which is journaled in bearings at the lower end of the inclined frame members l2. The conveyor chains also pass over sprockets 2e, fixed on the shaft 59, journaled in bearings at the upper ends of the inclined frame members l2, and also around sprockets 22, fixed on the shaft 2!, journaled in bearings mounted at the rear ends of the upper frame members It. It will be-seen that these sprocket shafts are so mounted that the endless conveyor has an upper inclined reach, running through a hopper to be described, a substantially horizontal reach, between the sprockets 28 and 22, and an inclined lower reach, between the sprockets 22 and E8.

The sprocket shaft ii is driven through a sprocket 23 thereon, which is connected by a chain 2 1 with a sprocket 25 on a shaft 26, which, through a gear reduction 2?, is driven from the sprocket 29 on shaft 28. The sprocket 29 is connected by chain 3i) to the sprocket 3! on the shaft of electric motor 32.

-A hopper is provided to receive a supply of bean pods to be cut into sections and the endless conveyor runs through this hopper. The hopper may comprise the side walls 33 and the inclined front wall 35,.supported by the frame 34. The front wall 35 stops short of the conveyor and a flexible strip, or apron, 3-5, is secured to the lower edge of said wall 35, and is brushed against by the conveyor flights as they move from the sprocket i8 upwardly along the upper reach of the conveyor. This flexible strip, or apron, constitutes a flexible closure for the hopper at this point and its movement, as the flights pass,

16 of the conveyor flights.

causes a slight agitation of the contents of the hopper which we believe to be helpful in filling the trough-shaped flights with bean pods lying longitudinally thereof. The upper inclined reach of the conveyor, between the sprocket shafts i1 and I 9, constitutes a movable bottom for the hopper. We have found that, when a conveyor of the character shown is caused to move through the hopper 33, bean pods in the hopper will be caught by the trough-shaped flights and lie longitudinally thereof. There will be practically no bean pods carried upwardly by the flights while lying crosswise thereof.

A pair of brackets 31 are mounted on the upper frame members l3 and a transverse shaft 38 is journaled in said brackets. The U-shaped frame 39 is pivoted on the shaft 38, and carries a cutter shaft 48 journaled in the legs of the frame. Upon shaft 40 there are mounted, so as to be rotated by the shaft, a plurality of later ally-spaced knives, or cutting disks, ll, which are held in the proper spaced relation by spacing sleeves Q2, mounted on the shaft ll] between the cutting disks, and between the end disks and the side members of frame 39. It will be observed that these cutting disks are positioned adjacent the horizontal reach'of the conveyor and the spacing of the disks on the shaft 48 is such that they are received in the kerfs if; of the conveyor flights, as such flights in the horizontal reach pass the cutters. Since the frame 39 is pivoted on the shaft 38, it may turn with reference to the axis of said shaft, thus permitting the cutting disks to rise and fall. This allows the disks to ride over any metallic objects which may be carried past them by the flights, such as nails or pieces of wire which might inadvertently enter the hopper. An adjustable stop pin 43, carried by one side member of frame 39, may engage a fixed lug M, to limit the downward movement of the cutting disks.

The cutting disks are driven through the following connections. A sprocket 45, driven from the gear reduction El, is connected by chain 46 with a sprocket il fixed on shaft 38. Another sprocket 68, also fixed on said shaft 38,is connected by chain 59 with the sprocket 5b, which is fast onthe end of the cuttershaft so. Thus,the driving connections to the cutter shaft include sprockets on the shaft 38, so that the frame and the cutters may turn with respect to the axis of shaft 38 without disturbing the driving connections.

We provide a guard, preferabh of sheet metal, which is mounted on the frame between the side walls 5? carried thereby. This guard includes a portion 5i, which is mounted in spaced relation to the horizontal reach of the conveyor, a curved portion 52, which is concentric with the axis of shaft 2!, a portion 53 in spaced relation to the upper part of the lower reach of the conveyor, and an apron 54 at right-angles to the latter portion. A reference to Fig. 2 will show that this guard forms a channel through which the bean pods and sections are carried by the conveyor. A plurality of parallel slots, 55, are provided in the portion 59 of the guard, these slots being so located that they receive the cutting disks 4i. Consequently, they will bein line with the kerfs iii of the conveyor flights. The portion 53 of the guard is provided with a plurality of parallel openings 56, which are also in line with the kerfs As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, these openings 56 are of increasing width, as one passes from the upper to the lower ends thereof. The maximum width of each opening may well be about one-quarter of an inch, so that bean pod sections of less than one-quarter inch size may pass through the openings 55, to be separated from the standard size sections.

The operation of this machine should be very readily understood from the description of the parts which has been given. A supply of snipped bean pods is placed in the hopper and, as the conveyor 3 moves through the hopper, the bean pods will lodge in the trough-shaped flights of the conveyor and be carried upwardly thereon. These pods will all lie longitudinally of the flights and be carried thereby into the horizontal reach of the conveyor and beneath the portion 5i of the guard. Since the axis of the cutter disks 4! is parallel to the flights, the disks 4! will meet the pods lying in said flights at substantially right-angles, so as to cut them into right sections, as the pads are carried past the knives by the movement of the conveyor. It will be seen that the knives work through the slots 55, and are received in the kerfs it, cooperating therewith to cut the bean pods into sections. The severed sections, still retained in the flights by the portion 52 of the guard, are carried around into the lower reach of the conveyor and here they tend to drop out of the flights, but are retained by the portion 53 of the guard and carried by the movement of the conveyor over the openings 55. At this point, the undersize sections will drop through the openings 58 and be diverted by the apron 54 into a suitable receptacle provided to receive them. As soon as the conveyor flights pass the lower end or" the portion 53 of the guard, the full-size bean pod sections drop freely therefrom into a receptacle provided to receive them.

We prefer to arrange the kerfs It at half inch intervals and the slots 55 are correspondingly located. As shown in Fig. 4, the knives 4! are spaced at one-half inch intervals, and, with the machine thus set up, the bean pods will be cut into one-half inch sections. If, however, a canner wishes to make one inch sections, alternate knives 3! may be removed, so that the knives are located on a one inch spacing.

The machine is simple and inexpensive but very eflicientand it is eflective to cut the bean pods into right sections. This is a desirable feature as one complaint, which canners have against bean cutting machines now the market, is that the bean pods may be so presented to the knives as to make a sloping, diagonal cut. Moreover, our machine makes clean cuts through the beans and does not crush them, in separating them into sections, and this is a highly advantageous feature.

We are aware that the particular m chanism here illustrated may be varied considerably, without departing from the spirit of our invention, and, we, therefore, claim our invention broadly as indicated by the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. A bean cutter comprising the combination of a hopper to receive a supply of bean pods to be out into sections, an endless conveyor having an inclined portion running through said hopper and including a plurality of trough-shaped flights, a pivoted frame, a driven shaft journaled therein, and a plurality of laterally-spaced cutting disks mounted on said shaft, said flights being provided with a plurality of transverse,

parallel kerfs receiving said disks, and said frame being so mounted that the disks may rise and fall with respect to adjacent flights and cooperate therewith to cut bean pods thereon into sections.

2. A bean cutter comprising the combination of a hopper to receive a supply of bean pods to be cut into sections, an endless conveyor run ning therethrough, a plurality of laterally-spaced cutting disks cooperating with a portion of said conveyor to cut bean pods thereon into sections, and a guard mounted in spaced relation to and cooperating with a portion of the lower reach of the conveyor and provided with a plurality of parallel openings through which undersize sections may pass to separate them from the sections of required size.

3. A bean cut'ter comprising the combination of a hopper to receive a supply of bean pods to be cut into sections, an endless conveyor running therethrough and having a substantially horizontal reach and a lower reach, said conveyor including a plurality of trough-shaped flights, each provided with a plurality of parallel, transverse kerfs, a plurality of laterally-spaced, driven cutting disks arranged adjacent the horizontal reach and received in the kerfs of adjacent flights, and a guard mounted in spaced relation to and cooperating with a portion of the lower reach of said conveyor and provided with a plurality of spaced parallel openings through which undersize sections may pass to separate them from sections of required size.

4. A bean cutter comprising the combination of a hopper to receive a supply of bean pods to be cut into sections, an endless conveyor running therethrough and having a substantially horizontal reach and a lower reach, a guard mounted in spaced relation to a portion of said horizontal reach and a portion of said lower reach, said f guard being provided with a plurality of parallel slots adjacent the horizontal reach and a plurality of parallel openings adjacent the lower reach, a plurality of laterally spaced cutting disks working in said slots and cooperating with the horizontal reach of the conveyor to cut bean pods thereon into sections, the undersize sections passing through said openings in the guard to separate them from the sections of required size.

5. A bean cutter comprising the combination of a hopper to receive a supply of bean pods to be cut into sections, an endless conveyor running therethrough and having a substantially horizontal reach and a lower reach, said conveyor including a plurality of troughshaped flights each having a plurality of transverse, parallel kerfs therein, a guard mounted in spaced relation to a portion of said horizontal reach and an adjacent portion of said lower reach, said guard having a plurality of parallel slots adjacent the horizontal reach and a plurality of parallel openings adjacent the lower reach, and a plurality of driven, laterally-spaced cutting disks working in said slots and the kerfs of adjacent flights to cut bean pods thereon into sections, the undersize sections passing through said openings whereby they are separated from sections of required sizes.

CHAS. G. BLAKENEY. BENJAMIN I. BUCK. 

